Holy Crap! I’ve just come out of the cinema after watching Split by M. Night Shyamalan – my first cinema trip of 2017 – and I am absolutely buzzing. My brain is still trying to process everything. And that ending.. so many questions.
I was going to share a review of the film, but I think it will take me a good few days to find words that are semi legible in my excitement. Still, I feel inspired to write something – which is great because it’s been a good four months since I’ve updated this blog – so today I’m sharing my most anticipated movies of 2017.
I was going to limit my list to 10 but there are so many films I want to check out over the next 12 months that I couldn’t chose less than 15 – and even that was tough. Like last year, it’s completely dominated by action-packed superhero movies. Sorry not sorry.
Split
When three girls are kidnapped by a man with 24 different personalities they have work out which of those personalities will help them escape and which of those personalities will will try to stop them. James McAvoy produces a master class performence playing the psychotic kidnapper and 24 roles. 20th Jan. Watch the trailer. The prospect of watching a new M Night Shyamalan movie was enough to persuade me to watch this film. I think I’ve said enough about it already. It’s a must watch, and the first on my 2017 movie list.
Lego Batman Movie
In the irreverent spirit of fun that made “The Lego Movie” a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble, Lego Batman, stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up. 10th Feb. Watch the Trailer. Will Arnett’s Batman stole the show in The Lego Movie, so it was a given that he would get his own feature sooner or later; and as a self-proclaimed Batman super-fan, I will always be excited to watch anything he’s attached to. Plus, Robin looks insanely cute AND he’s voiced my Michael Cera. I mean, come on..
John Wick 2
In this next chapter following the 2014 hit, legendary hitman John Wick is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers. 10th Feb. Watch the trailer. In the first John Wick movie, Keanu Reeves ended the lives of over 70 people just because one idiot killed his dog – and it was EPIC. It quickly became one of my favourite movies of all time. Now he’s back and looks more pissed off than ever, so my guess is a kill count of over 100. What do you think?
Logan
In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces. 3rd March. Watch the trailer. I have my reservations about this movie because – don’t kill me – I’m not a huge fan of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and never have been. That being said, I love Wolverine as a character, and I’ve heard that this movie is loosely based on the Old Man Logan comic by Mark Millar, so I’m looking forward to seeing how much the two have in common – especially the ending.
Kong: Skull Island
Kong: Skull Island reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure.. In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific—as beautiful as it is treacherous—unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong. 10th March. Watch the trailer. This movie has such a star studded cast that it would be impossible not to get a little excited about it, even if King Kong is a little bit outdated. Loki and the future Ms Marvel (Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson) join Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly; whilst screenplay duties go to the writer of the 2014 Godzilla film – Max Borenstein. Who else is hoping a Kong v Godzilla film comes next?
Beauty and the Beast
This live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic, refashions the characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. 17th March. Watch the trailer. Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favourite Disney movies because – Belle. She is basically the best human; compassionate, intelligent and self-sacrificing. Not to mention she loves books. I can definitely relate to that. Because of this, I’ve been excited for the live adaption since it’s conception – though I must admit, I’m not 100% convinced that Emma Watson was the right choice to play Beauty. She’ll always be Hermione to me.
Power Rangers
Power Rangers follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove — and the world — is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers. 24th March. Watch the trailer. Watching the Power Rangers TV series was a huge part of my childhood. It proved that girls could kick ass just as well as boys – if not better. The remake looks a little more serious and darker than the cheesy show I remember, but I’m hoping that’s a good thing. Though I am sad to see that the Green Ranger isn’t making an appearance.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand. 5th May. Watch the trailer. Guardians of the Galaxy was an unexpected gem for the Marvel universe. They managed to crank out an action packed film which was simultaneously hilarious, and it looks like they’re going down the same route for Volume 2 – but with the added bonus of an adorable Baby Groot. Who else watched the credits 20+ times just to stare at that tiny dancing tree?
Wonder Woman
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers and her true destiny. 2nd June. Watch the trailer. I didn’t end up loving Batman v Superman as much as I had hoped, but there was no doubt that Gal Gadot stole every single scene she was in, as both Diana Prince and Wonder Woman – even her theme music was incredible. Now we get a whole film about that bad ass. This could potentially be the movie I’m looking forward to the most this year.
Spider-Man Homecoming
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man, who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark. Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened. 7th July. Watch the trailer. Speaking of scene stealers, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in Civil War was almost perfect – now he too will get his own movie. This will be the 6th Spider-Man movie within 15 years, so it’s going to be hard not to compare them, but Holland’s already showing great Peter Parker Potential. I can’t wait to see what he does with the role. Though I have a feeling Michael Keaton’s Vulture may do a little scene stealing of his own.
The Dark Tower
Jake Chambers is a young 11-year-old adventure seeker who discovers clues about another dimension called Mid-World. Upon following the mystery, he is spirited away to the land where he encounters the lone frontiersman knight Roland Deschain who is on a quest to reach the “Dark Tower” that resides in End-World and reach the nexus point between time and space that he hopes will save Mid-World from extinction. But with various monsters and a vicious sorcerer named Walter Padick hot on their trail, the unlikely duo find that their quest may be difficult to complete. 28th July. Little is known about The Dark Tower at the moment. There have been very few photos released, and as of yet no trailer, but both Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey are attached as leads which instantly caught my attention. The movie will be loosely based on Stephen King’s eight novel series with the same name, a much loved Western / Sci Fi / Horror series as any King fan will agree.
Blade Runner 2049
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. 6th Oct. Watch the trailer. Although not directed by Ridley Scott this time around, Harrison Ford is back as Rick Deckard in this Blade Runner sequel, which automatically screams watch me. Not much is known about the movie so far, and the trailer leaves a lot to the imagination, but we do know that Ryan Gosling is going to be playing a lead role, and that Dave Bautista and Jared Leto will be joining him.
Thor: Ragnorok
Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok — the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization — at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger — the Incredible Hulk. 3rd Nov. In Norse mythology, Ragnarok means the end of the world, so it’s evident that this is going to be a massive battle that results in a lot of destruction. There’s currently no trailer to keep us ticking over until the film gets released, but it’s not hard to imagine what a fight between Thor and Hulk would look like – absolute mayhem. There’s no way I’m missing finding out who will win.
Justice League
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions. 17th Nov. Watch the trailer. We’ve seen how Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman work as a team, and to be honest, it wasn’t all that impressive. Wonder Woman kicked ALL the ass, while Superman kept wandering off to save Lois, and Batman, well – Batman was Batman. They now have the opportunity to go at it again, only this time they’re joined by Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg. Will more superhero help make everything better? We can only hope so. I’m looking forward to a formal introduction to the rest of the team.
Star Wars: Episode VIII
Ok. So all we know for sure about Star Wars: Episode VIII so far is that it’s called The Last Jedi, and it follows on from The Force Awakens. Nothing else is confirmed yet, not even a storyline – but it’s hard not to get excited about it anyway. This is Star Wars after all. We can make a few guesses that we’ll find out what Luke Skywalker has been up to, and get a bit more of an insight into Rey’s backstory, but all we really know is that the Resistance will continue to fight the First Order – and that’s ok for now. Bring on December.
So that’s my list. What movies are you looking forward to watching this year? Anything I haven’t mentioned? What else should I be checking out?
GEEKY TOURIST 